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UFC president Dana White confirmed that former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones won't get a title shot against Francis Ngannou ahead of the current No.1 contender Derrick Lewis.
Jon Jones recently moved up to heavyweight after being undefeated at light heavyweight for several years in a run that saw him win title bouts fourteen times. Matthew Wells, an editor at MMA Junkie, revealed that Derrick Lewis will get his title shot, and hopefully, Jon Jones will be ready to face the winner.
The information arrived during post-event coverage of UFC 263, and it does look like Derrick Lewis will fight Francis Ngannou this year. Lewis became the No.1 contender when he beat Curtis Blaydes via knockout in the second round.
Meanwhile, Francis Ngannou knocked out Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 to claim the title of "baddest man on the planet." If Jones does end up fighting Ngannou, he'll face several problems against the Cameroonian giant.
Ngannou and Lewis have fought once before in a match most fans regard as the most boring fight of all time. However, they will have the opportunity to put on a better fight now, with Jon Jones not yet ready for a title shot.
Jon Jones and his public negotiations with the UFC for Francis Ngannou fight
The veteran American fighter talked about the issue of fighter pay multiple times. However, he was serious this time as he appointed Richard Schaefer to help him out in any potential deal with Francis Ngannou.
Still, things have not changed as much as Jones is yet to secure a fight. There are rumors that he might go without a fight until later this year or next year. In addition, Jones asked for a lot of money for the fight, which could be another factor for the delay.
That hasn't stopped 'Bones' from talking trash with Francis Ngannou, and the heavyweight champion has been receptive to Jones' challenges. The Cameroonian asked Jones to stop the trash-talking and just fight him rather than wait for a year.
It will be interesting to see if they will fight in the future, but their rivalry looks really promising.
